


Never Meet Your Heroes

by LadyNorbert



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Awkward Crush, Crushes, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Flirting, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 20:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20823110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNorbert/pseuds/LadyNorbert
Summary: If Varric finds out about this, Cassandra will never hear the end of it.





	Never Meet Your Heroes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Toshi_Nama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toshi_Nama/gifts).

> Toshi has been working so hard to provide treats for so many in BE19, she deserves one of her own!

Cassandra Pentaghast did not have a crush on Garrett Hawke.

Never mind that Varric was pretty sure she did, and had made a point of telling her so. The dwarf was a liar of the highest degree and nothing out of his mouth could be trusted. She knew that now, if she hadn't already suspected it; the fact that Hawke was in Skyhold, summoned by Varric himself long after Varric had insisted he had no way to reach the Champion of Kirkwall, was proof enough.

(Varric was only not grievously wounded because of the Inquisitor. She supposed she was grateful for the interference; she probably - _probably_ \- would have eventually felt guilty if she'd actually pummeled the short mouthy crossbowman to a pulp. The temptation was still there, but she'd let him live. She just didn't want to talk to him very much.)

Back during her interrogation of Varric, when he had insisted that he couldn't contact Hawke, she had expressed admiration for the man who had built himself from nothing. Varric had chosen to interpret this as a romantic interest, which was patently ridiculous. She could admire someone without swooning. Even now that she had seen Hawke with her own eyes, now that he was here in Skyhold, she wasn't all that impressed. Tall, dark, and handsome? Well, certainly he was tall, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. His features were dark, it must be admitted.

But handsome? Not really. Sure, he had sparkling brown eyes with little creases at the corners, the sort which were a hallmark of kindness and good humor. His thick, very slightly curly hair and beard were dark as midnight, with tufts of gray at the ears. And yes, he also had a mischievous smile and a big, booming sort of laugh. Large, capable-looking hands. <strike>A backside that was effectively designed for bouncing a silver</strike>. In other words, he wasn't the kind of man Cassandra found attractive at _all_.

Besides, he was at least five years her junior, which might make things a little awkward. That was to say, it might make things awkward if she were attracted to him. Which she wasn't. And even if she were, it would hardly be mutual. After all, Hawke wouldn't know her if he fell over her.

* * *

He fell over her.

Quite literally, that was what happened. Cassandra was sitting on her bench near the training dummy which it was her particular privilege to abuse, minding her own business, rereading _The Tale of the Champion_ for perhaps the eighteenth time. She only barely had time to register the shadow looming over her before the figure of Garrett Hawke was sprawled on the grass where he had tumbled, having effectively tripped over her legs.

"...are you all right?" she asked, baffled.

"A thousand apologies," came the easy reply. "Something hit me in the back of the head and I turned around to see what it was. I probably shouldn't have kept walking backwards when I did." Hawke looked up at the tavern, where Sera was perched on the roof outside her window. She made a face at them, then snickered and threw another... something... in their direction. A grape, perhaps, or maybe an olive pit. "Ah. That must have been what it was."

"That girl." Cassandra shook her head. "She is... something else."

"That's one way to put it," he agreed. "Oh well. As long as I'm down here, I might as well admire the view." He folded his hands behind his head and grinned at her. "As you were, Lady Cassandra."

"I - I can move, if you prefer..."

"That would interfere with my admiring the view," he protested. "What are you reading? Oh. That." He rolled his eyes roguishly. "The only somewhat fictitious biography of Garrett Hawke, fate's plaything."

In spite of herself, Cassandra chuckled. "Actually, that brings to mind a question, if you wouldn't object."

"I'm here to serve, my lady." He winked.

She coughed, more flustered than she wanted to admit. "Would you - perhaps - sign my copy of the book?"

Hawke looked genuinely surprised by the request. "If you really want, sure." He paused, and his mustache quivered mischievously. "But it'll cost you."

"Oh?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "And what, pray tell, is the high price of so precious a commodity?"

"Dinner, with me, in the tavern." He grinned again. "I want to hear about Varric's interrogation from your perspective. See which details match his version, and which ones don't."

"I am no storyteller," she objected, trying to keep her color from deepening. "I do not have his gift for words."

"None of us do, trust me. Is it a deal?"

"I - well -"

"Go for it!" Sera called. "Do you some good, yeah?"

"No one asked you!" Cassandra called back. To Hawke, she replied, "Oh - very well. There are some tables on the second floor where we can speak and actually stand a chance of being heard. Varric... Varric won't be there?"

"I could invite him if you want."

"No!" she blurted. "That is - no. Thank you. I'd rather it were just ourselves. _Without_ an audience," she added, glancing meaningfully in Sera's direction. They could hear the elf blowing a raspberry.

"Great. I was hoping I'd find an excuse to ask you," he said, and though his tone was teasing and his eyes twinkled impudently, there was something very genuine in his expression. She swallowed.

Cassandra definitely didn't have a crush on Garrett Hawke. At least, not yet.


End file.
